Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve, Alaska If you really, really want to get away—head north to Alaska. Three of the state’s eight national parks attract fewer than 20,000 visitors each per year and five draw fewer than 100,000. Low park on the totem pole is Gates of the Arctic, northern most and second largest national park in the U.S., which entertained a mere 7,362 people at last count in 2023. Each of the Alaskan parks is spectacular but Gates may be the most so with its 11 million acres of majestic peaks and glaciers, free flowing rivers, endless vistas, and undisturbed wildlife. Given its vast size and remote geography, Gates of the Arctic is tricky and expensive to access. Float planes or air taxis are the only way in and out and, unless you are an experienced trekker and outdoorsman / woman, you’d be wise to join a guided adventure. We recommend one of two outfitters who operate in the park, offering backpacking, rafting, canoeing, and photography trips: www.expeditionsalaska.com, 770-952-4549. And www.arcticwild.com, 907-479- 8203. Prices for these trips range from about $5,000
Gates of the Arctic National Park.
to $8,000 per person. (Prices may change.) Note: There are several other Alaskan parks among the 10 least visited of America’s national parks, including Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, Wrangell-St. Elias, and Katmai. We’ve skipped over them to concentrate on under-visited parks in the lower 48 that are closer at hand and less expensive to visit.
www.nps.gov/gaar | 907-459-3730
Isle Royale National Park, Michigan Certainly one of the most remote parks on the mainland, Isle Royale is located in Lake Superior and is accessible only by ferry, seaplane, or private watercraft. Once you find your way there, you can enjoy some excellent scuba diving, fishing, paddling, backpacking, and camping. The 57,000-acre Isle Royale archipelago—by far the largest in the Great Lakes—offers plenty of room to roam. Its signature trek, the 42-mile Greenstone Ridge Trail, leads through boreal forests teeming with moose, wolves, and foxes, and it links the island’s two settlements, Rock Harbor and Windigo. There
Isle Royale National Park.
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